Who knows just how pivotal the final five minutes of this round of League 2 fixtures may be in Burton Albion's pursuit of promotion from Skybet League 2 come the end of the season.
Just as the Brewer's game against basement side Hartlepool United seemed to be drifting to a frustrating goalless draw, substitute Florent Cuvelier, on his debut, nipped in to score with two minutes remaining to grab all three points for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side.In the build-up to this game, coming off the back of two defeats, Hasselbaink stressed how important it was for his team to react. After the victory at Hartlepool, the Brewers boss told us
“It was important that we got a reaction after the two previous games.
“It was important that we showed up and that we were compact and organised and that we showed character.
“It was never going to be a beautiful game and it was never going to be a game that we were going to control for the whole 90 odd minutes because Hartlepool are playing for their lives."
Albion had toiled away against the Football League's basement side for large parts of the game on a difficult, bobbly pitch and with a blustery wind making life difficult, particularly in the first half clear chances were few and far between but even when the wind abated slightly after the break neither goalkeeper was seriously tested.
“The wind was very strong so it was never going to be a classical.
“It was always going to be a game of doing your job and doing it as a team and then wait for your opportunity.”
There were barely two minutes to go when CUVELIER broke Hartlepool hearts and sent Albion into ecstasy. It owed much to the industry of Beavon who worked hard on the left to create the opportunity and when played in with a little reverse pass the Blades loanee showed the cutting edge Albion had been missing to slip the ball under Flinders and inside the far post.
“The opportunity came and I must say, Florent took it really well.” Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink told burtonalbionfc.co.uk.